Water pressure: TSMC, others tackle groundwater worries in Kumamoto

TOKYO -- Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. is participating in a program in Japan to preserve groundwater resources by flooding unused paddy fields, amid concerns that its chip factories in Kumamoto prefecture could cause water shortages in the area.

Twenty years ago, Teruyuki Otaguro, a lifelong Kumamoto resident, saw something "surreal" at Lake Ezu, a popular spot for locals to fish and boat. As he walked around the lake, he saw hundreds of carp trying to squeeze through a narrow waterway, some swimming on top of each other, as they tried to get out of the lake. It was hot, and rain hadn't fallen in days.